I started laughing as I read this so violently that I lost breath, started to cry, and the boys began reading it as well… and laughing just as hard. I now understand why people like Linus move the wettest parts of the USA — it is an improvement on this.

The Swedes have this one completely sealed. There’s something truly horrendous about Hákarl that I don’t want to take away from our Icelandic friends – it *is* incredibly horrible, and I love the crazy way it’s prepared – but the fact that I walked into the Swedish sitting thinking it might be easier, only to be uncontrollably gagging within seconds of the can hissing its vile stench out into the world? No. Just, no.

Hákarl is definitely a 10-out-of-10 experience for people looking to expand their culinary horizons all the way down into the darkest depths of putrefied-shark depravity, and that’s fine. If you can get your hands on some, knock yourself out. Have a laugh with your friends. Brag about it, as I did, on Facebook. But know, deep in your heart of hearts, that while you just gulped down that ammonia-soaked 10-out-of-10, just across the sea, lurks an eleven…

Don’t do it, folks. Either of them.

I’m not going to go there, and I eat vegemite

One of the commentators, who I think would be one of Linus’ hard men, puts it this way… and I have eaten dried herring, which is fairly foul. I much prefer reindeeer (yes, eaten. In Northern Finland, from a street vendor).

The Swedes are bang on. While surströmming is vile, at least it’s not eaten on its own except by madmen or, as you mentioned, dumb tourists. But hákarl is eaten with absolutely nothing else, except perhaps a shot of Brennivín (caraway vodka or aquavit). I will never forget the sight of seeing my wife’s grandfather scarfing down half a jar of hákarl with quite few shots… When he was 96. He’ll be 105 in a few weeks and other delicacies I’ve witnessed him eating include whale blubber, fish skins and dried fish. Dried fish is actually still popular (I love the stuff) but the others are slowly vanishing.

I think the old rule — If the can is bulging, throw it out should be followed, particularly if the Swedes around you are telling you it is delicious and you have to try it. Sounds worse than durian, and that is saying something. Just don’t